Taking the Anxiety out of Healthcare IT (and Cost of Care)

I’m prone to anxiety when it comes to unexplained aches and pains, though I tend to internalize it in an effort to not come across as a hypochondriac. I’m sure I let my inner, extreme worrier come through just a tad during a recent doctor’s appointment. I was visibly relieved to learn that what I had been quietly fretting about for weeks was in fact quite normal. My relief must have been extremely visible, because my doctor was quick to explain that what patients often consider irregular, doctors treat as run of the mill. What I lose sleep over, they don’t bat an eye at. (If only her practice offered a patient portal with secure email, so that we could correspond about my health at our leisure.)

She then told me of a recent trip to the doctor with her mother, and that she had a newfound appreciation for the patient’s side of the visit as she saw things from her mother’s point of view. It was quite refreshing to hear. I might temper my anxiety before my next appointment by playing this mobile game, should it ever be made available in the app store. According to a recent study published in Clinical Psychological Science, 25 minutes of play reduces levels of stress and anxiety. Researchers are looking to see if the effects are the same with shorter bursts of playtime. It’s got to be a cheaper (and healthier) alternative than a prescription for Xanax, right?

Speaking of healthcare costs, I read with interest the news that not only did Castlight Health’s IPO perform better than expected, but that it also partnering with the Leapfrog Group to analyze hospital survey data. Castlight seems poised for success because it is striving to do what healthcare desperately needs done – to bring transparency to and better understanding of healthcare costs in this country. With the Leapfrog project, it seems they are set on tackling quality, safety and patient satisfaction, too. It would be nice, as a patient, to have one trusted resource to go to for consumer-friendly healthcare information so that we could make smart decisions for our families and ourselves.

It would be interesting for a company like Castlight to combine financial, quality, safety and satisfaction data with a notation as to whether hospitals and physicians use EHRs. I noticed that recent results from the latest NCHS Data Brief from CDC show that 42.8% of physicians in Georgia have EHRs – not significantly different than the national average, according to NCHS survey findings. Only nine states ranked above the national average for EHR usage.

I’m off on a tangent here, but I have to ask, when will all 50 states get above 50%? When will everyone be above the national average? With budgets tightening, hospitals closing, and IT deadlines looming, I have a feeling it will be later rather than sooner – if at all.

What do you think? When will your state reach 100%? How do you relieve stress before a doctor’s visit? Would knowing a physician had competitive prices and secure messaging impact your decision to book an appointment? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

About the author

Jennifer Dennard

As Social Marketing Director at Billian, Jennifer Dennard is responsible for the continuing development and implementation of the company's social media strategies for Billian's HealthDATA and Porter Research. She is a regular contributor to a number of healthcare blogs and currently manages social marketing channels for the Health IT Leadership Summit and Technology Association of Georgia’s Health Society. You can find her on Twitter @JennDennard.

1 Comment

  • Think your perception and experience is typical of how we all are when it comes to our health (and the health of our family) and speedy communications and direct access is definitely needed to mitigate this stress (as is gamification as a stress reliever)
    Interested to see the benefits of CastLight’s approach but wanted to shout out to Simplee who are helping my process of understanding my healthcare costs by aggregating everything into a single location with a clear breakdown and summary – bit like Mint but for healthcare costs. Combined with the CastLight approach I would definitely shop around for the most cost effective service and where possible the one that required minimal time (FaceTime/telemedicine, email consults and Rx)

Click here to post a comment
   

Categories